Is a neonatal jaundice value of 15 serious?

If the jaundice value of the newborn is 15, it is generally physiological jaundice, which is not serious. Generally speaking, with the good development of the child, this physiological jaundice will gradually subside in about a week and will not cause any health impact on the baby. Of course, if the jaundice value is relatively high, it may be pathological jaundice, which requires timely and regular treatment. Let's take a look at this aspect.

Is a neonatal jaundice value of 15 serious?

Medically, jaundice that occurs in babies under one month old (within 28 days of birth) is called neonatal jaundice. The main symptoms are yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera. The child will have a loss of appetite, become restless, and his body temperature may also rise. Neonatal jaundice is a very common disease among newborns. Clinically, 60% of full-term babies will develop jaundice within one week after birth, and 80% of premature babies will develop jaundice within 24 hours after birth.

Neonatal jaundice is mainly a disease caused by the incomplete development of the liver function of the newborn, abnormal bilirubin metabolism, and increased bilirubin concentration in the blood. It can be specifically divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. So, how to distinguish physiological jaundice from pathological jaundice? What is the normal value of neonatal jaundice?

In full-term infants, jaundice will subside after 2 weeks and the skin should return to normal color. The normal bilirubin value should be less than 17.1umol/L. 17.1-34.2umol/L is latent jaundice, 34.2-171umol/L is mild jaundice, 171-342umol/L is moderate jaundice, and greater than 342 is severe jaundice. Jaundice still requires active treatment, and it is necessary to check what causes the jaundice.

The normal value of neonatal jaundice is based on serum bilirubin as a reference indicator. It is normal as long as it does not exceed 204μmol/L (12mg/dl) for full-term infants and 255μmol/L (15mg/dl) for premature infants. In addition, children with physiological jaundice do not experience much impact on their appetite and spirit except for yellowing of the skin, and the symptoms will generally disappear automatically within a month. Children with pathological jaundice not only have skin changes, but also usually cry, make a fuss, and refuse to drink milk. In this case, parents must take their children to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise it may cause kernicterus, which has very serious consequences.

Symptoms of jaundice

1. The skin, sclera and other tissues turn yellow. When jaundice deepens, urine, sputum, tears and sweat will also turn yellow, but saliva generally does not change color.

2. Changes in the color of urine and feces.

3. Digestive tract symptoms, often including abdominal distension, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.

4. The manifestations of cholelithiasis mainly include: skin itching, bradycardia, abdominal distension, fat diarrhea, night blindness, fatigue, mental depression and headache.

After understanding the symptoms of jaundice, expectant mothers must observe the baby's symptoms in time after the baby is born to see if the baby has pathological jaundice. If a pregnant mother wants to prevent pathological jaundice in her baby, she must pay attention to her diet during pregnancy and avoid drinking alcohol.